EDilTOR[AL

Eastern Dude Shoots Self in Foot

lT'S THE same old story. The Eastern dudes lcome West, misjudge the entire situation and cause problems for all with their misperception of what is possible in the West.

In this latest sequel, a Massachusetts economic research firm has prematurely concluded on the basis of a partially completed study that the Western plywood manufacturing industry is going down the tube. Isn't that swift?

Regretfully, the misconceptions have resulted in dozens of headlines in Western newspapers reporting that an "erosion" and "slump" face the industry through the next 20 years.

The mistake came to pass because they relied, in the words of Bronson J. Lewis of the American Plywood Association, "on the assumption that the present unreasonably conseryative levels of public forest harvesting can never be changed and will be continued. We feel the report needs to show what happens if timber is offered at the increased rates the forests are

Sales Mgr. Ted Barnes

Phone: (503) 874-2236

P.O. Box 7

Riddle, Oregon 97469

DAVID CUTLER editor- publisher

well able to support. We expect the final report to reflect the strongly positive options for growth that are available to the industry with a return to stability in the public timber supply. " Lewis predicts that with the restoration of the multiple use concept of public lands as promised by President Reagan, "the plywood and lumber industries of the West can look forward with other segments of the total industry nationwide to healthy growth in the years ahead."

While the final report may indeed correct these early errors in judgment, the premature release of incomplete information has already provided ammunition to environmental extremists who no doubt are already claiming that there is no reason to increase timber supply because the industrv is alreadv declinine.

Whiie the damage is doie, it is not the end of the fight. But once again, the forest products industry is forced to fight a come-from-behind battle to correct tenderfoot thinkine.